Stay With Me
by Thatwolfbutler
Summary: A young Prince is rescued by a kind, sweet, and gentle Barbarian. The complete opposite of what he's lead to believe they're like. He let's this Barbarian escort him back home, but being around him makes him feel strange. Izuku Midoriya is like no other person he's ever met. Barbarian or not. He wants to be with him. He falls for him. But, can they really be together?
1. Act 1 Part 1: Savior

He coughs up blood and his dimming eyes glance over at the other man holding him. He smiles softly and sets his hand against his cheek, wiping tears away with his thumb.

"Please...don't cry." He says softly. "I'll be alright." He tries to reassure him.

A choked sob comes from his mouth. He grips his other hand tightly. "Don't...try to make me feel better. You're not getting better. You're dying."

A soft groan escapes his mouth as blood drips down his nose. He coughs out more blood, wheezing a little bit. "Yeah...I guess you're right. I don't want to go though." Tears well up in his eyes. "I don't want to leave you alone." He squeezes his hand with what little strength he has left. "I don't want you to be lonely again."

He leans down and presses his forehead against him, shutting his eyes tightly. "I want to be with you. I don't want to part from you. Ever. I can't go on without you." Tears stream down his face and his breath hitches in his throat. He lets out a heavy sob.

"Please. Don't say that. One of us has to live on." He leans up a bit, kissing him deeply, ignoring the flaming pain of the hole in his abdomen. Tears spill down his cheeks. "Just stay with me...until the end. Promise?"

He nods and smiles softly. "Promise." He whispers. "I won't leave your side."

He moves some of his hair out of his face. "Do you think...in another life, you and I can be together?" He asks softly.

A soft chuckle escapes. "Honestly? Yes. I believe that very much." He sniffles. "I know we will. We'll find each other. No matter when. No matter what." A soft smile spreads over his face.

"Good. I'll...be waiting." He mutters as his eyelids slowly close for the last time.

~Many Months Before Tragedy~

Sitting atop a tree branch is a young barbarian. Shimmering green eyes watch the blue sky. A light breeze blows through his fluffy, wild, green hair. He's wearing a light green cloak with white fur around the collar, brown pants, red boots, and a leather belt with pockets attached to it.

He takes a bite from his apple and sighs. "Another silent morning by myself." He leans back, hanging upside down from the tree branch. He stares at the world from his new viewpoint.

Something catches his attention. A bit out of the ordinary. A carriage has stopped in the middle of a dirt road. A couple of people are having some trouble with a moving something that's wiggling in a sack.

The man drops down from the tree and lands on his feet. "Something's not right." He says softly. He crouches down, a green electrical energy wrapping around his body as he lunges forward.

"Will you quit squirming you damn brat? I don't want to have to knock you out, damn it." One of the men groans, trying to get the squirming bag back into the carriage.

"If you leave a bruise on him, I'm going to be pissed. We can't risk damaging such a valuable asset, idiot." The other glares at his companion.

"Hey fellas." The green-haired man smiles at them. "What do you have in the sack there?" He tilts his head a little bit.

The both gasp and drop said sack, earning a muffled groaning from inside.

"Damn it, look what you made us do." The leader of the two growls and glares at him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Me? You can call me Izuku." He smiles. "Now, I take it you two have a person in there." He points at the wiggling sack. "Now, I'll give you one chance to let them go and walk away." He puts up his fists. "Or else."

They both look at each other and begin to laugh. The leader takes out a dagger and grins, licking the blade.

"Just what the hell are you going to do-" Before he can finish his sentence, a fist slams into his face, sending him a few feet down the road.

"Why you-" His partner in crime is sent flying a few feet up the road with a kick to the stomach.

"Easy enough." He picks up the sack and jumps into the trees and begins to use the branches to jump further and further away.

Once he thinks he's far enough away, he jumps down from the trees and sets down the sack. He unties the top of it and pulls it down.

A young prince with half snow white and cherry red hair glares at the stranger. Even his eyes are a different color, one silver and one ocean blue. A burn scar covers most of his face on his left side. His hair is a little long and reaches his shoulders. His mouth is covered with a bandana and his wrists and ankles are tied together. He's wearing an embroidered blue vest with golden accents, a white puffy long sleeved under shirt, and very well made brown pants along with calf high boots.

"Whoa..." Izuku says softly, staring at the stunning man before him. He shakes his head. "H-hey calm down. I got you." He unties the bandana so he can talk.

"Set me free now. Or else." He glares daggers at the Barbarian before him.

Izuku waves his hands around a little bit. "I-I'm working on it, I promise." He starts to undo the rope around his wrists. "Who were those people?"

The stranger stares at Izuku with hard, cold, eyes. "Human traffickers." He says softly and looks over to the side.

"Oh...well, I don't think they should be bothering you anytime soon. I made sure we got pretty far from them." He smiles and unties the ropes from around his wrists.

"What? So, you can try and sell me off too?" He rubs his wrists.

"What? No, of course not!" He shakes his head. "I'm setting you free so you can head home." He looks around. "But the nearest town is a few days away...I can escort you there."

"I'll be fine." He reaches down and starts to untie his ankles. "I appreciate the assistance, but I can handle the rest on my own."

Izuku rubs the back of his neck. "Are you sure about that...? I mean it can be pretty dangerous out here, especially at night."

"Why exactly do you care so much? I don't have any money on me, despite my appearance."

He waves his hands and shakes his head. "No, that's not it. I just want to make sure you get home safe. I'm sure there are people who are worried sick about you after all." He smiles softly.

The prince glances off to the side and sighs softly. "Who are you exactly? What are you? Some sort of explorer?"

"My name is Izuku Midoriya. I'm a Barbarian. I call this forest my home." He sits down in front of him.

"A... Barbarian...? Really...?" He looks him up and down. "You're a rather small Barbarian."

He hangs his head in defeat. "Hey, I'm only 18 you know. I could still grow."

"The ones I've seen are big and buff. Though, you have some muscle at least."

"Let's focus on you. Though, now that I'm sitting here and looking at you." He rubs his chin. "By the look of your clothes you don't look like you live nearby."

"You're pretty perceptive. My name is Shoto Todoroki. 4th in Line for the Throne." Mix matched eyes meet with astonished forest green.

Izuku stares at him. His eyes are wide, and his jaw is hanging down. "You...are...oh I just..." He clears his throat. "I was...thinking noble! But...the Prince of...the whole Kingdom!" He drops down to his hands, setting his forehead against the ground. "Your majesty!"

Shoto blinks a few times and rubs the back of his neck. "You can rise. You don't need to grovel."

Izuku looks up at him. "It's not every day you meet royalty. Wait, if you're here..." He furrows his brows. "You're ways away from the capital. Allow me to escort you back! Not because of any sort of reward, I just think it would be an honor to help the future king." He sets his forehead against the ground once more.

The prince stares at the barbarian before him and a soft tint of pink coats his cheeks. He's a very sincere and honest man. He never thought he'd see this coming from a barbarian. "Well, if you insist. I suppose it would be better to have someone guard me while making my way back." He clears his throat. "If you choose to agree, I'll make sure you're well compensated."

"Thank you, your highness. It's not necessary, but if you insist, I shall gladly take any compensation. I will make sure you get back home safe and sound."

"Then it's official." He nods and holds out his hand. "Let's shake on it."

Izuku sits up and quickly takes his hand, giving it a firm shake, smiling brightly.

Shoto sighs in relief. "Alright. I assume you know the way back to the capital?"

He nods and grins big. "Oh yeah, I do. But we need to get supplies. This'll take us a few months..." He mutters softly. "Two or three at most. That's if we don't run into any trouble. Right now, I don't have enough to pay for more than a month at most. So, we'll need to get some extra money. We'd have to take on a few quests to gain funds for this. That might take us a few days."

"Do you always mumble out loud like this?" He tilts his head a bit.

Izuku snaps out of his train of thought and blushes lightly. "S-sorry! It's how I think and it's a bit of a habit. So, I don't even realize I do it half of the time."

"It's fine. I was just curious is all. But, if it's money we're in need of. I do actually have some money that might help a little bit. I'm not sure how much, though."

"Any amount will be of help. I have some saved up myself, so I'm sure whatever you have will help." He nods.

Shoto takes off one of his boots and shakes it a bit and a few platinum coins fall out. "Will this be enough to help at all?"

Izuku's jaw drops. He stares at the five platinum coins and slowly nods his head. "This is...more than enough. Oh yeah. We can easily get four or five times as much supplies with just these. But I think one should do just fine. Maybe just...keep those other 4 in your boot, alright?"

"If you're sure." He says and puts four of the coins in his boot.

Izuku takes the coin and puts it in one of his pouches. He smiles and stands up, offering his hand. "Alright, your majesty. Let's get you home safe and sound."

He can't help but chuckle and take his hand. "You can just call me Todoroki."

Izuku grins and nods, helping him up. "You can call me Midoriya."

"So, Midoriya. How many days away is this city?" He raises a brow.

He begins to count on his fingers. "It should be two. We should get started on our journey. Are you ready for plenty of walking?"

"Not really, but I don't have much of a choice." He says softly.

With that, the two begin their journey to the nearest town for supplies. The walk was fairly silent between the two. Izuku made sure not to go too fast and took breaks about every hour or so. The weather was nice, and they didn't run into any trouble.

Izuku looks up at the sun beginning to set. "We should make camp. The sun is starting to set, and we don't want to be out in the dark."

"Right...camp. But we don't have any tents or anything to sleep on." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Well, that's why we find a bunch of leaves and make a pile to sleep on. If we get chilly, I have my cloak here we can use." He grins.

Shoto really didn't like the sound of this, but it's not like he had much of a choice. "Sounds great."

"It'll be great. We first need to gather firewood so we can start a fire. Do you...happen to know...how to start a fire?" He rubs the back of his neck.

"Yeah. I can start a fire. Easy enough. I'll focus on the fire; you can gather the leaves for the bed."

Izuku hits his chest with his fist. "Got it!" He runs off into the woods.

Shoto looks around and sighs softly, running his hand through his hair. He takes one more look around before getting some nearby sticks and piling them up.

Izuku comes back a few minutes later, his arms filled with lots of leaves. He drops them down and looks over at the fire and smiles. "Whoa! You got that fire going pretty quick."

He glances back at him. "Well, I find it easy to make fires."

He claps his hands. "Now that we have a roaring fire, what would you like to eat? I can catch us rabbit, bird, possibly fish, or squirrel."

Shoto grimaces a little bit. He really wasn't sure of he liked the thought of having to actually hunt down something to eat. "Um, how about you pick."

He gives a thumbs up. "You got it. I'll make sure to find the best for you your majesty." He bows before running back into the woods.

Shoto sits in front of the fire and stares at the flames. He rubs his temples and brings his knees to his chest. "How did I end up in this situation...?" He says softly and sighs. "The sooner I can get home, the better."

~o~o~o~

Izuku stares at the rabbit roasting over the fire. He twiddles his thumbs and looks over at the Prince. He isn't sure what to say, exactly. What could they possibly talk about?

"Do you live out here alone?" The Prince decides to break the ice.

"Oh! W-well, yeah." A nervous chuckle escapes past his lips. "I was hoping to find others to join me out here so I could start my own tribe. But I haven't had any luck."

"Your own tribe?" He asks softly. "Do you not already belong to one?"

"Well, yeah. I did. But it's tradition that when a Barbarian reaches the age of 18, they set off on their own or with some friends to start their own tribes. Of course, you don't have to. But I decided it would be good. But it's been a year and I haven't made any progress on anything." He let's out a soft sigh and stares at the ground.

"I'm...sorry to hear that. Did no one want to come with you?"

"Well...no. But that's alright." He waves his hands. "I didn't mind going out on my own. I was sure I'd make tons of new friends. It's only been a year." He smiles brightly.

The prince stares at him and chuckles lightly. "You're pretty optimistic I see."

A grin stretches across his face. "Of course."

The two sit in silence for a few minutes. This time, Izuku speaks up.

"How did you get captured? We are pretty far from the capital and all." He glances over at the Prince. "Feel free not to answer. Sorry."

He sighs softly. "No, it's fine. I was on my way back from meeting with a suitor from another kingdom." He rests his elbow on his leg. "Since I'm 18, my father has been pushing me to find someone to marry."

"Oh. Well, you're a very handsome guy, so I'm sure there are plenty of people to choose from." He smiles.

"So far, they've all been either selfish, self-centered, shallow, or a mix of all of those." He sighs heavily. "I'm just a piece of arm candy to them."

Izuku frowns. "I'm sorry." He says softly. "That sounds awful." He sets a hand on his shoulder. "But, don't worry. I'm sure one day you'll find your true love."

"True love?" He chuckles bitterly. "Do you really believe in such things?"

He blushes lightly and rubs the back of his neck. "Well, yeah. I like to think there is someone out there for everyone. You're a nice guy. I know we've only just met but I can tell you have a good heart." He grins.

A soft blush coats his cheeks. He scratches his cheek a bit and looks off to the side. "I... thank you. I appreciate it."

After the rabbit is cooked, Izuku uses two large leaves as plates and uses his hunting knife to split it between the two of them. The barbarian happily digs into the rabbit. Shoto stares at it before picking up a piece and taking a small bite.

"Whoa." His eyes go wide. "This is so good."

Izuku grins. "I know right? Nothing like fresh rabbit to fill the tummy, am I right? I used a few herbs around the forest to season it a bit. My mom does a way better job, though. But I'm still super glad you like it."

After their dinner, Izuku makes sure their makeshift bed is nice and comfy before letting Shoto know he can lie down. "It's no bed, but it'll do for the night."

Shoto gets as comfy as he can. It's not as uncomfortable as he thought it would be. He folds his hands over his chest.

Izuku puts his cloak over him and smiles. He gets comfy next to him and closes his eyes. "I'm glad you think so." He smiles softly.

He glances over at him and furrows his brows. "Aren't you going to get cold?"

"Huh? Oh, you don't need to worry about me." He waves his hand and smiles. He yawns and gets comfy. "As long as you're warm, I'll be fine."

Shoto watches as the barbarian rolls on his side and shivers a little bit. He moves a little closer and spreads out the cloak over both of them. He turns on his side, his back pressing against Izuku's. He's warm. He slowly closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

**Hello! Welcome to my NEW story! I've been working on this for months! Alright, so a few things:**

**It's going to be 2 acts essentially. I have the first half almost complete. So after act 1 is finish, there will be a break, maybe for a few months or so? Depends how much of Act II I get done.**

**I'm honestly not sure when I'll update. It might have to be once a month? Because I AM working on various other things and sometimes I don't feel like writing so don't expect a constant schedule. Sorry.**

**So, I think that's it! Leave me comments and such and let me comments and such and enjoy!**


	2. Act 1 Part 2: Town

A week has passed since the two met and started traveling together. Thanks to Shoto's platinum coin they had enough to buy a covered wagon plus horse, camping supplies, cooking ware, rations in case they can't find anything, and a few other small things with plenty of money to spare.

The two have grown close and quickly became friends. Izuku asks about what life is like as a Prince. Shoto in return asks Izuku about what it's like being a Barbarian and enjoys the various stories and ramblings he gets into.

Izuku is sitting in the driver's seat of the wagon, holding the reigns. "Hey, are you alright back there Shoto?" He looks back into the wagon.

"Yeah. Do you want to switch? You've been driving all morning."

"I'm fine, really. We can switch off in a few more hours. At this rate we should be in the next town by night fall."

"That sounds good." He falls silent. "Do you think I can ask you something? It's been bothering me for a while."

"Sure, ask away."

"When we were getting our supplies in town. I noticed some people giving you strange looks. Not to mention a few shop owners watching you very closely. Is there a reason for that?"

Izuku rubs the back of his neck and looks down. "Oh. That. I'm sure you know Barbarians don't have a great reputation. We're known for being blood thirsty, uneducated, and extremely territorial."

He furrows his brows. "But why? You don't seem like any of those things."

"Well, it all used to be true a few hundred years ago. Barbarians would go around pillaging villages, killing anyone who got in their way, and punishing those who trespassed on what they consider their territory. We had both power and powerful beasts on our side. There was an all-out war between the Barbarians and the kingdom. After heavy losses on both sides, a truce was made. We've calmed down a lot since then."

Shoto can't help but feel a little bad he forgot about such an event. It makes sense why people would be weary, but that was a long time ago. Izuku is a sweet and caring man. "I know you're nothing like that."

He smiles softly. "Sometimes I get excited when I'm in a good fight. But I've been told that's just a barbarian thing. Though, there are still those who cling to the old ways." He says softly. "There are still plenty of violent barbarians out there and the damage we caused all those years ago is still relevant to today. We're not well liked. But you get used to it. That's why a lot of us don't live in towns. I've heard some barbarians erase their barbarian identity completely so they can live in peace in big towns."

Shoto sits down next to Izuku and sets his hand on his shoulder. He isn't sure what to say.

The barbarian looks at the Prince and grins big. "Thanks." The gesture is more than enough for him. "It's been a long time since I've had a nice friend like you."

He scratches his cheek and blushes lightly. "I... never had any...friends." He clears his throat. "So, sorry if I'm bad at this."

He gasps and covers his mouth. "I'm your first friend?" He whispers. He leans in close and smiles brightly. "Don't worry! I'll make sure to be the best friend you'll ever have." His eyes sparkle.

"I um...well, alright. I'll hold you to that." He rubs the back of his neck and blushes lightly.

"Hey, when we get to town, do you think we can find a nice place to eat and drink?"

"Huh? Oh, of course. It'll be around dinner time anyways. But I don't get why you're asking? Since we'll be in the city we won't have to hunt."

"Well...you don't mind being in a public place like that...with me, right? There is a chance we'll be getting stares and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I can always change my clothes to look like a regular traveler!" He smiles.

"Izuku." Shoto turns to him and sets his hands on his shoulders. "You don't have to do that. I don't want you to do that. I don't mind one little bit being seen with you. You're a good person. I don't care what people think."

Heat rises on Izuku's cheeks and they begin to tint red. He smiles softly as he averts his gaze. "Okay. If you're sure, then I won't worry about it. Promise."

He sighs in relief and smiles softly. "Alright, perfect. We'll have a nice meal together, drink, and enjoy being inside a building. Then we can relax on a real bed." He sighs softly, just thinking about it.

"Ooh. I bet the sheets will be nice and comfy and soft and warm." He smiles brightly. "It'll be great! It's rare I actually go into any sort of town or city and spend the night."

"Well, I'll make sure you have the best time." He sets his hand on his shoulder and a gentle smile crosses his face. "Since we'll be traveling awhile, you'll get to try all new places to eat and sleep."

"I'm really excited!" He bounces a little bit. "It's even better since I have someone to experience it with."

Shoto feels a slight pang in his chest and his cheeks flare up a little bit. "W-well it's not like I'm an expert or anything. I didn't get out too much. I might be able to suggest some food and drinks the closer we get to the capital though."

"That just means we get to experience all sorts of new things together."

"Right. Together." He smiles softly.

~o~o~o~

The two find an Inn to stay at and a tavern around the corner to eat. Izuku sits at their table, excitingly looking over the menu with big eyes.

"Whoa, they sure have a lot of different names for a lot of different things." He glances up at Shoto. "What are you going to get?"

He taps his chin a few times and hums softly. "Well, I have a few ideas. But I'm not too sure what exactly I want."

"Oh, this sounds good." He grins and points at the menu. "Two drumsticks slathered with house special gravy, a side of mashed potatoes, and fresh vegetable of the day." His stomach growls.

Shoto chuckles softly. "Well, it seems like your stomach has made its decision. I think I'll get this brisket. That sounds good. How about a couple of ales too? Nothing like a stiff drink to go with a good meal."

Izuku throws his fist in the air. "Yeah!" He grins big and laughs.

The Prince can't help but laugh at just how cute Izuku looks when he's excited.

When their waiter arrives to take their orders, Izuku excitedly gives her their order. The two spend the night talking, drinking, eating, and enjoying each other's company.

Izuku slams down his fourth mug of ale and grins big, cheeks a little flushed. "This is the best meal I've had in a long time."

Shoto chuckles and gently sets down his mug. "I can agree, this is pretty nice. But it is getting late. We should get back to the Inn, plus I think you might be a little bit tipsy."

"Nuh uh! You're a little bit tipsy." He points a shaky finger at him. His voice slightly slurred. "I can keep drinking for...like a long time." He nods.

The Prince chuckles and leaves the money on the table with a nice tip. He stands up and walks over to Izuku, putting the barbarian's arm over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

He pouts and leans his head against him. "Only cause you...are my friend." He sticks his tongue out and smiles.

He leads his barbarian friend back to the Inn and to their bedroom. He lies him down on his bed and pats his head.

Izuku yawns and glances up at him. "Thank you..." He says softly as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

The Prince stares down at him. He can't help but admire just how peaceful he looks when he's sleeping. It's just so cute. A soft blush coats his cheeks and he shake his head. He gets into his bed and lies down. He feels something weird in his chest, but he chooses to ignore it.

The next morning, Izuku groans softly and turns on his side, pulling the cover over his head.

"It's too bright." He mutters, the sunlight filling the room.

Shoto lightly shakes his shoulder. "I don't want to get up." He mutters groggily. "I just want sleep."

"I guess I can get some breakfast on my own."

Izuku slightly leans back and looks at him. "Breakfast...? Like...with bacon and pancakes and eggs?"

He nods slowly. "Yes."

He sits up. "I guess it is the most important meal of the day."

"So, I take it food you don't have to hunt is your weakness." He jokes.

He pouts and gets out of bed. "Can you blame me?" He walks into the bathroom. A few minutes later he comes back out and puts on his shoes and his belt of pouches. He puts his cloak over his shoulders and smiles. "Alright, I'm ready."

The two head down back to the same tavern to get some breakfast. Izuku gets some nice cool water and chugs it down. Shoto gives him his water as well since he seems so thirsty. The Prince orders them breakfast. Before the waiter leaves, she gives them some more water.

While the two wait and Izuku is chugging more water, someone taps Izuku on the shoulder. The Barbarian blinks a few times and sets down his mug, wiping dripping water from his face. He turns around and smiles only to receive a fist slamming into his face.

"You fucking bastard!" The man yells and spits in his face. "Go back where you came from!"

"Izuku!" Shoto stands up, his jaw dropping.

He hisses softly and rubs his bruising cheek. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." He wipes the saliva from his brow and chuckles. "Don't worry, sir. I'll be going after breakfast." He smiles up at him. "I promise."

He sneers and points at him. "You better, filthy savage." He turns around and marches back to his table and sits down.

A sigh escapes his lips as he turns back around. "Sorry about that. It happens sometimes."

Shoto moves Izuku's hand from his cheek and presses his right hand against it, a thin layer of frost covering it. "This will help the swelling." He frowns.

"Whoa, I didn't know you had ice magic." His eyes sparkle and he touches his hand. "That's so cool! Uh, no pun intended." He chuckles lightly.

"He had no right to hit you."

"Oh. It's alright, really. It barely hurt." He smiles brightly. "But I appreciate the concern. You get used to it."

That only makes Shoto's other hand clench tightly. "You shouldn't have had to get used to it. It's not right."

"Shoto. I told you before there is still a lot-"

"You had nothing to do with any of that. No one should judge you based off something you had no control over." He grits his teeth. "You are your own person. You're good. You're sweet. It just-"

He sets his hand against Shoto's clenched fist and smiles softly. "I know. Maybe one day things'll change. But I promise, it's okay now."

He removes his hand from his cheek and takes a deep breath. "If you say so."

Their breakfast arrives and Izuku licks his lips. He starts to happily dig into his breakfast. Shoto smiles softly as he watches Izuku happily eating away at his meal. He eats a bit more calmly.

"You're going to choke if you're not careful." Shoto chuckles softly.

"Huh?" He swallows. "You're going to start sounding like a mom when you say things like that." He pouts a little bit and takes a large gulp of water.

Izuku finishes a bit before Shoto and sits there, waiting for his friend to finish. Then he feels a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, you said you'd leave once you finished." The man from before growls, ready to slug him in the face once again.

"Oh, sorry, but my friend hasn't finished so I wanted to wait for-"

"But you're done. Your..." He glances at Shoto. "uh...'friend' can finish while you wait outside."

Izuku rubs the back of his neck. "But it doesn't make sense to go-" He watches as his three friends stand up. He sighs. "I'll go get the carriage ready." He stands up.

Shoto slams his hands on the table and stands up. "Izuku. You don't have to listen to this piece of tra-"

"Shoto." Izuku says sternly. He turns back to look at him, smiling softly with a hint of sadness in his shimmering eyes. "It's alright. I need to check on our things anyways. I'll be outside. You should be done soon right? It's alright."

"Izuku. Please, you don't have to do this." He practically begs.

Izuku waves and heads towards the door. "Make sure to take your time." He gives a thumbs up.

The man huffs as he watches the Barbarian leave. He goes to sit back with his friends.

Shoto clenches his fists tightly, feeling ice creep down his arm and create a thin layer of ice on the table. He drags his hand down his face. He stares at his breakfast and grimaces. He can't eat it. He slams down the money and tip before marching over to the table of the man and his friends.

"What do you want?" He glances at him.

~o~o~o~

Izuku pets the horse a few times, getting a lick to his face. He smiles softly and watches as Shoto comes out of the tavern. "Oh! Finished already?"

He nods. "Yes. Let's get going. We have a lot of ground to cover."

"Right." He gets in the driver's seat and once Shoto hops on, he starts down the dirt road.

"Hey...Shoto? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Have...you ever been judged because of your status or family?"

He's silent for a minute. He grips his hands together. "Yes."

Izuku casts his eyes down. "I see...I hope you know; I like you for you. Not because you're a Prince." He smiles softly at him.

A chuckle escapes his throat. "I know. You're just...sweet like that."

A light blush coats his cheeks and he smile sheepishly. "You're going to make me feel all embarrassed you know."

"So. Where are we headed next?"

"Well, we won't be reaching the next town for about four days. So, we won't be out in the woods for too long."

"I think I'm starting to enjoy the life of a vagabond. It's not so bad. Especially with good company."

"I'm glad to hear that!" He grins big. "I knew you'd warm up to living life on the road sooner or later."

"Izuku...do you think. Possibly, when I get home, I can give you a special thank you for all of this?"

"You know you don't need to do that." He waves his hand. "You don't even have to compensate me like we agreed."

"I know, but I want to. I'll throw a big feast. Will you allow me to do that?" He sets his hand on his shoulder, giving him a pleading look.

Izuku sighs softly. He can't say no to such a pleading look. "Alright, if you really want to. Then, a feast sounds like it could be fun. I will get to try a bunch of new fancy foods." His eyes sparkle. "And I'll get to see the castle, up close and personal. Oooh, could you give me a tour?"

"Of course. I can show you where I practice my magic, my room, and the garden."

"I've heard lots of stories about how amazing the royal garden is. Is it true the Queen herself takes care of it all by herself?"

"Well, she tends to most of the flowers, but she has plenty of help. It's too big for one person."

"Amazing." He sighs happily. "What about your dad? I hear he's big, strong, brave, and confident."

"My dad.." He says softly. He looks off to the side and falls silent.

"Ah! sorry, I didn't mean to offend you! I'm just curious is all." He waves his hands. "You don't have to answer, I'm sorry."

"It's...fine. It's...I don't..." He rubs the back of his neck. "It's a very long story and for the most part our family is sort of passed it? But things are still...rough. I can't say I hate my dad, but I don't really love him either. He's, okay, I guess. He's a good king at least."

He nods slowly. "Right, I see. It's alright. You don't have to tell me." A soft smile forms on his lips. "But, if you ever do feel comfortable with me, it can help to sometimes talk to people about your problems. But I won't push it."

Shoto chuckles softly. "Thank you...Izuku." He whispers.

Izuku smiles and the two continue down the road. They enjoy light conversation for a while and sit in comfortable silence. After a few hours, they find a nice open field so they can enjoy lunch. Shoto gets the fire started while Izuku goes and hunts something to eat. When he gets back, he starts cooking and they both sit by the fire.

Shoto smiles softly as he looks at the fire. Though, he could have sworn he's hearing something in the distance. "Hey, Izuku?"

"Hm?" He looks over at him.

"Do you hear something?"

"Uh...no? Did you hear something?"

"I don't know? It sorts of sounds like...wings? But, bigger?" He shakes his head. "Maybe I'm hearing things."

Izuku leans his head over a bit and cups a hand over his ear. "Now that you mention it, I do hear something...it sounds like it's coming this way."

A loud roar breaks through the sky, making their horse neigh loudly and rear up on its hind legs.

Izuku pales. "Oh no." He says softly and stands up. "W-we have to go."

Shoto furrows his brows. "What? Why? What was that?"

"It's...we just have to pack up and go." He looks around frantically and starts to kick dirt over the fire.

Shoto stands up. "Is something wrong? Izuku?"

Another roar breaks through the air, much closer now. It rattles the ground and the horse begins to get antsy. Shoto rushes over to try and calm him.

A large red dragon swoops down, landing on the ground, smoke wafting from his nostrils. A man stands up on top of the dragon's head, red eyes glaring daggers at the green-haired barbarian.

"DEKU! I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOUR USELESS ASS!"

Shoto looks at Izuku with a raised brow. "Um, Izuku? Do you know him? Who's this...Deku person?"

He groans and wrings his hands together. "I'm uh...Deku." He smiles nervously and waves. "Hi Kacchan."

**So! I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter! Any comments, questions, or concerns? Leave a comment!**  
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